Basket and method of construction thereof



Dan. 13, 1932.

A. F. DURAND 1,890,534

BASKET AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION THEREOF Filed April 9, 193.1

Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT Fries ARTHUR F. DUB-AND, OF

RAVINIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SABANAC MACHINE BASKET AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION THEREOF Application filed April 9, 1931. Serial 110.528,?55.

This invention relates to baskets, and more particularly to those that have straight downwardly tapering sides and a raised flat bottom, baskets of this kind being used in bushel and half-bushel sizes.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and method whereby a basket of this kind may be made from a single round mat composed of staves or splints arranged radially, crossing each other at their centers, having portions which are thereafter doubled back upon each other, and which are ultimately clamped between the outside and inside bottom hoops of the basket, thereby providing a raised fiat bottom and downwardly tapered sides in a basket which is made from a single flat round mat.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and method steps tending to increase the general efficiency and the desirability of a basket and method of producing baskets of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective of a basket embodying the principles ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the bottom portion of said basket;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, more or less diagrammatic in character, of the fiat round mat from which the said basket is made.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a basket, such as a bushel or halfbushel basket, having downwardly tapered straight sides provided with outside top and bottom hoops 1 and 2, and the outside middle hoop 3, together with an inside top hoop 4t and an ins de bottom hoop 5, as shown. The straight staves or splints of wood or other material, as shown, extend down one side of the basket and then across the bottom and up the other side thereof, so that each stave is integral from one upper end thereof to the upper end at the other side of the basket. Portions of said staves are doubled back upon each other, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, to provide double thicknesses 6 that are clamped between the outer and inner hoops 2 and 5, and which are held in place by the staples 7, inserted through these double thickness portions and through the two hoops, the points or inner ends of the staples being clinched on the inside surface of the inside bottom hoop. Thus the basket is provided with straight downwardly tapered side walls, and with a raised fiat bot tom, wh'ch bottom is crowned on its upper side, owing to the cumulative thickness of the bot om at the center thereof.

The basket thus shown is made from a single fiat round mat, such as theone shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. It will beseen that'the staves or splints are arranged rigidly, being superposed upon each other at the center of the mat, and a staple 8, or other fastening device, being preferably inserted through the center of the mat to hold the staves in the'r proper relative positions. Preferably, the staves are so arranged that they overlap at their edges in the side walls of the basket. Also, as shown, the staves are preferably scored at 9, so that they will break sharply to form the extreme lower edge of the basket, thereby permitting portions of the staves to be doubled back upon each other to form the double thicknesses 6, previ- 1| ously mentioned. The staves or splints are also adapted to bend at 10, but preferably not sharply, or not with a score line, in order that the fibre of the wood at this point may not be broken. This line along which the staves are bent at 10 is indicated by the dotted line 10 in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

Any suitable means or machinery can be employed for folding the mat into basket form, and for supporting materials while staples are driven through the different hoops and the staves to fasten the parts in place.

In th s way, a basket having straight and downwardly tapered sides, but having a flat raised bottom, fiat round mat, by first forming the flat mat, and by thereafter folding said mat into basket form. and stapling the hoops in place, as shown. Thus, notwithstanding that the basket is of the type having a flat raised botis constructed from a single portions and both hoops bottom, together with tom, preferably crowned on its upper side, the basket is nevertheless made from a s'ngle fiat round mat having staves that form both the bottom and the side walls of the basket.

It will be understood, of course, that in the process of making the basket, the hoops 4 and 5 may be what are ordinar ly called preformed. hoops, or hoops which can be placed on the forming means of a machine, while the three outside hoops can be formed from hoop strips in the process of making the basket, by winding the hoop strips around the basket walls wh'le the staples are being inserted.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A basket having downwardly tapered side walls,-a substantially flat raised bottom, and outside and inside bottom hoops, said bottom resting upon the upper edge of the inside bottom hoop, and the side walls having upturned integral portions connecting the lower edges of the side walls with the outer edges of said bottom, together with fasteners inserted through the side walls and upturned to fasten the parts in place.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said bottom and side walls'being formed of flexible staves arranged radially and crosswise at the center of the bottom, each stave being integral from one upper end thereof to its other upper end at the other side of the basket.

3. A basket having side walls, asubstantially flat raised bottom. and an outside bottom having upturned integral portions connect-- ing the lowere-dges of the side walls with the outer edges of the said bottom, togeh"r w t h fasteners inserted through the side walls and upturned portions and outside hoop to fasten the parts in place.

4. A basket having downwardly tapered side walls, a substantially fiat raised bottom, and an inside bottom hoop, said bottom resting upon the upper edge of the inside bottom hoop, and the side Walls having upturned integral portions connecting the lower edges of the sde wa ls with the o ter edges of said fasteners inserted through the side walls and upturned :ortions arlid inside bottom hoop to fasten the parts in p ace.

Specification signed this 7th day of April, 1931.

ARTHUR F. DURAND.

downwardly tapered hoop, the side walls 

